Hate graffiti lingers as church prepares to close

Published
8:00 pm EDT, Monday, March 31, 2008

As past cleanup efforts fade away, anti-Semitic graffiti has resurfaced in the back parking lot of First United Methodist Church on West Avenue.

An obscenity followed by the word "Jews" remains spraypainted in black on a red door, the remnants of 5-year-old act of vandalism. Neither the church pastor nor the chairman of trustees knew that the slur was visible again -- a sign of the centuries-old church's pending closure and recession from the public eye.

"I have no knowledge about that whatsoever," said the Rev. Dennis Winkleblack, church pastor. "This is absolutely news to me, and I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone about it."

Due to dwindling membership, the First United Methodist Church will close forever on May 25, and the property will be sold. Paul Deysenroth, chairman of First United Methodist's board of trustees, said there's no need to replace the vandalized door.

"That door is an old door ... and we're closing the church, and it's not worth putting up money to replace the door when I can repaint," he said.

Deysenroth said no members of the church have complained about the graffiti. He speculated that the weather must have deteriorated his cover-up attempts.

"That happens with that type of door, and paint doesn't last forever," Deysenroth said.

The church has considered shutting down for years, but in 2006 voted not to merge with Norwalk United Methodist Church, down the road on West Avenue. Still, low attendance, limited parking and a costly estimate to repair structural weaknesses made continuing difficult.

Winkleblack said Sunday services, which can seat roughly 700 people, are now attended by 25 to 30 members. With little money to continue, the proceeds from the property sale will go toward Methodist and ecumenical work within the city of Norwalk.

"The money will be held in trust to be used for the good ideas that the other methodist churches have," Winkleblack said.

The graffiti occurred in July 2004. A resident who lived behind the church saw people and cars in the parking lot late one night and scared them off with a floodlight in the yard. The church's outside wall and door were spraypainted with anti-Semitic language, a "666" and images of the devil.

Winkleblack said the slur should be painted over "immediately."

"I'm shocked by the graffiti, that nobody had noticed it or called attention to it," Winkleblack said, "and I'm really disappointed if it's that obvious."

Staff writer Jared Newman may be reached at (203) 354-1045 or jnewman@thehour.com